Massachusetts Opens $1.75 Million in Grants for School Social Media Lessons

Governor Maura Healey announced on October 14 that Massachusetts will distribute $1.75 million to schools for teaching students about social media, the Boston Globe reported.

The money flows through the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's Safe, Healthy, and Responsible Digital Life Grant program. Public school districts, charter schools and educational collaboratives may apply for roughly 25 to 30 awards of as much as $60,000 apiece, covering classroom lessons, teacher training, materials and resources for families, the Healey administration said. Lessons are meant to cover spotting false or AI-generated content, guarding personal data, cyberbullying risks and online decision-making.

The program draws on a $2 million fiscal 2027 budget line for online safety and education. A remaining $250,000 will pay for vetting instructional materials and producing videos and other teaching resources.

Healey made the announcement at Peabody Veterans Memorial High School. "This is about setting kids up for success," she said.

Social media bills remain stalled on Beacon Hill. The House passed a measure in April barring children under 14 from the platforms and requiring parental consent for 14- and 15-year-olds, paired with a school cellphone ban; the Senate in July approved different rules mandating default settings for minors that switch off addictive feeds, autoplay, infinite scroll and overnight notifications. In August, a $17.1 billion settlement with Meta resolved claims the company harmed young users.

This story was first reported by The Boston Globe.